Headlight



C. F. DAMM HEADLIGHT Filed DeC. 8, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E11/6Min? y www I L/77-Z0T71 Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

UNITED YSTAT-ES.

ramos PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. DAMM, or BUFFALO, NEWYYORK.

nnAnLrGHT.

Application filed` December 8, 1921. Serial No. 520,946.

' light that a better illumination of theroadway is secured without the usual objectionable glaring effect and also to provide the headlight with side lenses which will give a warning signal toward opposite sides of the car when .the latter is about to be turned either way or when crossing the road in front of another car, thereby promoting safety in vehicle travel and reducing the possiblity of accidents. In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of one form of headlight embodying my improvement. Figure 9 is a similar view of the frame for holding the front lenses in.

place on the casing ofthe headlight. Figure 3 is a front elevation ofthe h'eadlight show-n in Fi'g. 1. Figure 4 is a fragmentary llmgitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 4 4, Fig. 1, showing the means for supporting a front lens on the casing. Figures 5 and 6 are rvertical cross 'sections on 'lines 5 5, and (5-6, Fig. 1, respectively, looking in the direction of the arrows associated with these lines. Figure 7 is a front elevation of the front lenses and the frame for holding the same in a developed presentation. Figure 8 is a fragnv mentary vertical longitudinal section of the front part of the hood shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6. Figure 9 is a vertical longitudinal section of a headlight showing a modified form of my invention.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts 1n the several views.

10 represents the reflector of the headlight which may be of usual parabolic or other suitable form and provided centrally in the back thereof with a socket 11 for receiving the lamp of the headlight which in this instance is of the incandescent bulb type.

Surrounding this reflector is an enclosing casing or shell which in the construction shown in Fig. 1 comprises a rear section or body 13 which may be of spherical form and receives the reiiector 10, and a front section .or hood 14 whichforms a forward tubular extension from the front edge of the body' i and in this instance is formed integrally of sheet metal therewith. In the preferred construction the lower portion 15, of the front edge of this hood inclines from its front end. rearwardly and downwardly while the upper part 16 of this edge inclines rearwardly and upwardly from the front end of the hood, as shown in Fig. 8. The junction or place of meeting of the front 15 and 16 is preferablyA located slightly above the horizontal longitudinal aXis ofy comparatively low anglewhile the upper edge portion 16 is inclined at a relatively high angle so that the lower edge portion is longer in a direction fore and aft and extends back farther than the upper edge portion 16 of the hood, as shown in Fig. 8.

Arranged across the lower part of the hood adjacent to the lower edge portion 15 thereof is a lower lens or pane'17 which is arranged at the same angle as this edge and is of substantially the same length fore and aft of the headlight, and arranged across the upper part of the vhood adjacent to the upper edge portion 16 thereof is an upper lens or pane 18 which stands at the same angle as this last-mentioned edge portion and entends fore and aft of the hood to substantially the same eXtcnt, so that the lower front lens is inclined at a comparatively low angle and is comparatively long 'tov ends of the lower and upper edge port-ions and extends back farther than the upper lens which latter is inclined at a relatively lsheet metal, the lower section 19 being ward by this lamp and thereby prevents a adapted to lit around the lower part of the front edge portion 15 of the hood at the same angle thereof and bearing against the front side of the lower lens 17, While the upper sectionA 20 is adapted. to fit around the upper part of the hood adjacent to the front edge portion 16 thereof at the same angle as the latter and bear against the front side of the upper lens 18. This frame may be connected with the hood in any suitable manner preferably by means of screws 21'which permit of detacliing the frame from the hood and attaching the same thereto when this is required for replacing a broken lens. At the angle between the meeting ends ofthe lower and upper sections of the frame is a cross bar 22 extending horizontally and transversely across the same so as to cover the joint ormeeting place between the lower edge of the upper lens 18 and the upper edge of the lower lens 17. Projecting downwardly from the central part of this cross bar isa shield 23 which -is arranged horizontally in line with the lamp 12 and thus intercepts the rays of light which are thrown horizontally forglaring effect of the same upon the roadway ahead. This fastening frame for supporting or retaining the front lenses is preferably constructed from a single piece of sheet metal, the lower and upper sections and the cross bar of which are preferably made of hollow form for the purpose of stiifening the same and also permitting of fitting the same around the hood and engaging the front sides of these lenses.

Although any suitable means may be employed for detachably holding the lenses against the rear sides of the frame sections, those which are shown in the drawings are suitable and comprise upper and lower lens retainers 24, 25, which are constructed of spring wire, the upper retainer 24 being arranged between the rear side of the upper lens 18 and a plurality of clips 26 arranged on the upper section 20 of the frame while the lower retainer 25 is arranged between the rear side of the lower lens 17 and a plu-A rality of retaining clips 27 Aarranged on the inner side of the lower frame section 19, as bestshown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5.

The upper lens 18 is preferably made translucent by constructing the same, for example, of ground glass, while the lower lens 17 is made fully-transparent by makvso ing the same of clear glass. By this means the light penetrating the upper translucent lens will be subdued and prevented from producing a glare or blinding effect upon the eyes of oncoming persons, while the light of the lamp is free to pass through the clear glass of the lower lens and fully illuminate the roadway in front and at the sidev of the path of the automobile.

By arranging the upper and lower lenses at an angle relatively to each other, a much larger. light opening in a forward direction from the reflector is obtained than has heretofore been obtained in headlights of the same size of usual construction.

. By extending the lower front lens back farther than the upper front lens and at an lower angle than the upper lens, the stream of light passing forwardly from the lamp is not only divided but the upper part utilized to moderately illuminate thelroad ahead by reason of its passing through the translucent upper lens while the lower part thereof passes downwardly and forwardly through the clear glass lens and fully illuminates the roadway in front of the lamp and at the side thereof. This illumina-tion is, however, effected without blinding the eyes of oncoming persons, inasmuch as the glare of the lamp is ,kept below the line of vision of oncoming persons by intercepting the upper glaring rays of the lamp through the medium of the translucent upper lens 18, the cross bar 22 and the shield 23.

In order to still further increasethe illuminating effect of the roadway in front of the`lamp withoutaccompanyiug the same by a glaring effect, the hood and body of the casing and also the reflector are elongated in a vertical direction so that the same are substantially of .oval form, the major axis of which is vertical andthe minorfjaxis is horizontal, as shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 7. By this means a greater lighting effect in a vertical direction is obtained from the head light, for a given size headlight, without increasing the cost of the same.

The construction shown in Fig. 1 is more particularly designed for use in headlights which are originally manufactured in accordance with my invention, which permits of making the body and hood of the casing in one'piece.

In order to adapt this invention to headlights already in use,the same may be organized, as shown in Fig. 9. For example,

the hood 28 is made separate from the body 29 of the casing and is connected therewith by screws 30. In such an organization a separate retaining frame for the front mem'- bers may be dispensed with and replaced by a frame or rim 31 which is formed integrally on the front edge of the hood 28 and turned inwardly and backwardly so as to engage the front sides of the upper and lower front lenses 32, 32. This integral frame may alsoy .he provided with a -cross bar 34 to support the front meeting edges of the upper and lower lenses 32, 33 and on its underside this cross bar may also be provided with an integral shield 35 for intercepting the'glaring rays of the lamp 12 at the aXis 'of the headlight.

For the purpose of utilizing this headlight l secured by -frames or rims 4 0, or similar means. That side lens next to the side oi the car is preferably of a red color and the other of a white or clear color, so that upon v'turning a car one way or another a signal will be visible to a car approaching from the rear, indlcating that the driver 1s turning across'the path of the car following,

while the white light on the opposite side of the headlight will illuminate the roadway adjacent thereto and thus increase. safety in travel at night.

I claim as my invention:

A headlight comprising a reflector adapted to contain a lamp, a casing having a rear body enclosing said reector and a hood eX- tending forwardly from said body and having the lower part of its front edge inclined rearwardly and downwardly and the upper part of said edge inclined rearwardly and upwardly, a lower inclined clear lens mounted on the lower inclined edge of said hood, and an upper inclined translucent lens mounted on the upper inclined edge of said hood, said lower lens being longer fore and' aft than said upper lens and lenses of different colors arranged on horizontally opposite sides of said hood.

CHARLES F. DAMM. 

